My father is Russian, he was born in Russia, grew up in Russia but during Soviet times he and his family moved to Latvia. He says(in russian): "I understand that referendum is pointless, but look how 'we(russian speaking people)' have been treated. What has government done to teach us latvian? For example, in Germany, the government pays for courses as long as you need them to learn German, but in Latvia... And during 'Perestrojka' everyone was promised citizenship, but then 'they' divided us into two- citizens(latvians) and non-citizens(russians)".
From this point of view, you must somehow understand Russian-speaking people. Of course, I understand that Latvia isn't Germany, with economy and everything, but still..

As of your father. If he immigrated here in Soviet time, than he is living here for some 30 years at least. Wasn't 30 years (!) enough time to learn the local language even without free courses? After all there are native speakers of Latvian all around him, there is TV, newspapers, books, everything! Even his wife (!) is Latvian, for Christ's sake! How come, nowadays foreigners form Western Europe or Far East can learn Latvian in a matter of months (!)? And Soviet people like your father can not learn the basic language skills in decades(!)? Are they retarded or something (no disrespect intended)? Or is it attitude(!)? Or is this the typical bigotry attitude of arrogant Soviet Russian chauvinists?

Besides. Germany invited and/or allowed those immigrants to come and stay in Germany. In a controlled and reasonable way. Quite the opposite, Latvia was charged with massive influx of often hostile Soviet immigrants who came here as a result of international crime - occupation and annexation of Latvia by the USSR. Feel the difference? I would agree though that there should be free language courses. And it should be Russian Federation, as the heir to the USSR, who bears the costs.

As of your claim that "everyone was promised citizenship but Russians were betrayed" I challenge you to provide a proof to that. This myth of Russian propaganda is very popular lately. Only so far nobody had been able to prove that something like this ever happened. Because it did not.

And your statement that people were divided into Latvian citizens and Russian non-citizens is pure lies. Everybody who's ancestors had been citizens of the Republic before 1940 had their citizenship restored, be they Latvians, Russians, Jews, Poles or whoever. Everybody else had to either take the automatic Russian citizenship or undergo very simple naturalization procedure, regardless (!) of who they were by their ethnic identity.

No offence to your father but how it's possible not to learn language if wife is latvian and he came to other country and knew he will stay there for good. It's been at least 21 years since he moved to Latvia!!!
There is no excuse for a such weird state of mind that makes you think - government has to pay for neverending language courses for people who doesn't even want to learn language and respect country where they live.

The russians are discriminated in Latvia. Some of the people live there for generations and still have no citinzeship. The Latvian politicans lied to russians when they promised citinzeship for everyone after they were standing shoulder to shoulder with latvians at barricades in 1991 ,but more than 300 000 people did not get it. The government of Latvia is useless. The have destroyed all plants and factories but they are not able to build something new to give people jobs. Therefore half of population of Latvia is working abroad. Latvian government refused to take russians in government after they won the elections ( Where is democracy ? )God bless us , please bless Latvia!

Yeah and most of those people, living here for generations still don`t speak the national language of the state, i.e. latvian, or refuse to speak it and insist that everybody has to speak russian to them. And if You are writing down the fact of russian party not getting into government, to lack of democracy, then You apparantely do not understand the way democracy and forming of the government works or maybe even don`t know what it is.

"The russians are discriminated in Latvia" - False. Unsubstantiated claim. It was has not been possible to prove it during the last 20 years. Fresh from the news: Yesterday Russian lady Yelena Avotina-Yekaterinovich (16 years ago immigrated from Russia to Latvia) in her speech in European Parliament yesterday denounced talks about "Russian discrimination" as false and artificially created to promote hatred against Latvians.

"Some of the people live there for generations and still have no citinzeship" - May be true for offspring of alienated Soviet after-WWII immigrants. The question is - why didn't parents of children naturalize? Why parents did not file their children for simplified acquisition of citizenship? Because they do not speak state Language (after living for decades in the country)? Or because they consider it substantially "wrong" (that is a political stance and is only their own right and their own fault).

"The Latvian politicans lied to russians when they promised citinzeship for everyone" - See my comment above. It never happened. It is a myth. Nobody so far has been able to provide proof for this claim. Because it never happened.

"they were standing shoulder to shoulder with latvians at barricades in 1991" - Another myth. Yes, indeed, there were few (!) Russians at the barricades. But they indeed were very few. Majority joined the "Interfront" - Soviet Russian imperialist movement and fought against the independence. But nowadays leaders of Russian chauvinists are screaming, that the same people who hated to see Latvia to regain its freedom would have been amongst the fiercest fighters for independence. This is simply the most cynical propaganda lie I have ever seen after the fall of the USSR.

"The government of Latvia is useless" - Maybe. Still it is better than many other European governments. Look at Greece! Besides, Latvian debt is one of the smallest and economic recovery one of the fastest in Europe.

"The have destroyed all plants and factories" - Typical mantra of Sovietophiles, who can not undersand that Soviet built factories and companies in their majority just could not survive the conditions of the free world and global market. Nobody was "destroying" anything. If talking of destroying, then it was Soviets who destroyed them, when they robbed Latvia in 1940 of its wealth, took all the factories and companies (for example VEF, the creator of world famous MINOX spy cameras). The following 50 years was period of Sovietization and gradual decay, which ended with very logical collapse after the Berlin wall fell.

"they are not able to build something new to give people jobs" - In capitalism governments seldom build factories. You are still living in Soviet mindset. Besides, there is a lot of new factories and companies in Latvia, e.g. "Violet Design", producing state-of-the-art acoustic devices. I am sorry you know nothing about the country you live in. Possibly they do not write about the success of Latvia in your Russophone newspapers owned by supporters of Russian Neo-Nazis.

"Therefore half of population of Latvia is working abroad" - Some are working abroad. Like in other countries. More or less - that is called "freedom of movement", Comrade.

"Latvian government refused to take russians in government after they won the elections ( Where is democracy ? )" - Latvian government did not (!) refuse to take "Russians", as some claim now. Please remember, the party you are talking about, the "Harmony Center" is led by three men, of whom two are Latvian ex-Communists and one is of mixed Russian/Latvian descent, and before elections they promoted themselves as "internationalist" party and objected to being regarded as a "Russian" party. Why such sudden change in self-identification? Besides, they were not taken into government because they were Soviet apologists and promoters of ideas of Russian imperialism and chauvinism. In other words they are threat to the national security of the country. That is why. Not because they would be ethnic Russians (which they even are not). By the way, few years ago another winner of elections, the "People's Party" was also left out in the cold and did not go to form the government. And, guess what? Nobody was crying that they were "not taken into the government because they were Latvians".

So, essentially, everything you wrote here is complete nonsense. A pure and high quality BS. Though, nevertheless, that is indeed what is sitting inside heads of majority of the Soviet immigrants in Latvia and is sincerely believed in. And it got there thanks to intensive brainwashing during the last 20 years.

Sorry, but you are making no sense here. Exactly some people live in Latvia for generations and still haven't learned the langauge of the country called Latvian. How is that possible? There are people from India, Lebanon, Africa living in Latvia. They've been able to learn the language in a year or 2. Please don't tell me that after living in the country for 20-30 years one can't learn Latvian. It is simply not true. If there is a will there is a way to do it. Libraries are free in Latvia, go and get books to learn the langauges. My grandfa came from Lithuania, he learned Latvian by reading Latvian books and translating. He wanted to learn the language and he did. In any country if you can't pass a citizenship exam you won't get the citizenship. Even if you are born in UK you won't get the UK citizenship if your parents are not citizens and haven't passed the citizenship exam. I think it makes sense. If you live in a country and want to be a citizen you need to know the language and the history of the country.

It doesn't seem you are being honest on this. You are just dropping bits and pieces from here and there without making a common sense.

do You really think, that the second language will turn it for good? Do You think that Russian politicians are/will be more wise, grown up in the same environment as Latvian? Possibly uppers are the best friends in sauna...disregarding nationality! Think about it:-)

We Latvians are a small nation. There is no other country in the world where we can freely use our language and develop culture.
Latvian language is in danger of extinction.
Why we have to speak Russian?
Of course, all Latvians can speak Russian the same as English or German, because we want to be educated and tolerant to other nations in Latvia. But it doesn't mean that all those languages had to be state languages.

Look, in reality russin shouldnt be a state language, and noone needs it, all russians speak latvian just like latvians speak russian.

but russian language should be a local language at the places where russians live. if in riga there are 60% people who speak russian - then russian language should be official in riga.

in New York there are 2% russian people and russian is official there.

if latvian is about to extincs as u say - u need to popularize it! write books, make songs, movies. why not? if u care about it so much then why in the hell do you read Dan Brown, watch Twighlight and listen to Lady gaga? why do you recommend your friend to watch US movies, listen to eNGLISH SONGS AND READ FOREIGN books? Read Rainis, watch Rigas Sargi, listen to Prata vetra, and recommend it to your people. Close foreign channels, radios, dissallow foreign books. And you know why noone does it? cause latvian movies suck, books stink and music is awful

u cannot save a culture when there is no culture. u cannot save a language when noone likes and speaks this language, you know.

the culture is global now and the language is english, so stop thinking about this russian latvian bullshit and lets make money

Do not mix up two different things - official state language and a language that is recognized as native tongue for part of the inhabitants. There is 2% russians in New York, and they admit it and they agree that some people do speak russian. And that`s that. That`s where it stops. It does not mean that a police officer will have to know russian to approach those 2%, and they won`t be able to go to social services and demand workers to speak russian, only because they do. And the sentence about regarding culture and intelectual material is just plain retarded, get out of Your cave.

For f**k`s sake of course you can communicate. Japanese person can go there and they will find a translator for him, just as they will in Latvia (it will take longer time no doubt about that), but government official is not obliged to know japanese, just because there is 2% of japanese people in NY.

And after all, if you`re soooooo ruissan, and you like it that much, that you even want to make it a national language of a completely different country, then maybe get your ass on a train move over there! Oh, you don`t want to? Then stop bringing that shit into my country!

If you think that latvian movies suck, books stink and music is awful, then you have not seen a lot in your life. You should get to know latvian culture better and only after that raise your incompetent opinion about situation in Latvia.

P.S. why are you lying that all russians speak latvian just like latvians speak russian?! I think some 40-50 do, which does not look like "ALL". You have problems with math as well:)

Of course, most of latvian popular music is B***S***, but if you think that popularity is a measuring stick for artistic quality of music, books etc., i feel very sorry for such a narrow-minded and uneducated person like You.

and if u artificially popularize some peace of shit worth nothing - noone would call it ART and noone would say good job!

why everybody knows Shakespeare and noone abroad the USSR knows Rainis? i tell u why, cuz Rainis was not a good poet. he is known in latvia cuz he was almost the only one who could rhyme.

why everyone knows Dostoevsky and noone knows Birznieks-Upitis? cause the levels are different. if Upitis knew alphabet and tried to write it doesnt mean he is a great writer.

what i mean to tell you is that Latvia has no culture but the one they created artificially, just like the soviets tried to create a SOVIET MAN or SOVIET NATION. it doesnt exist just like LATVIAN CULTURE, LATVIAN LATVIA or LATVIAN NATION.

dayumn man! i wonder where do you guys take the "facts" about occupation and rusification, violence against latvians as a nation. Latvians were ones of the most agressive communists. they stood on the roots of communism, google for Latvian Riflemen, a special forse who fought for Lenin. These dudes were the ones who organized GULAG and departed and killed people all over the USSR. So those Latvians killed jews, russians, ukrainians, latvians and estonians. GULAG was created BY LATVIANS. So the violence starts here, in Latvia.

Second, there is no legal cause to say that latvia was occupied. Look there is a difference if i tell u: "we had a deal that i can come and live here, here is the document with your signature, so let me in, i take this room and u take the other room" or i come with a knife in my hand and say "look, now move away or i'll cut your throat". the situation between latvia and ussr is more like the first one. Ulmanis and his government were traitors, they betrayed his people and gave the territory of Latvia to the soviets with no fight. Look at what Finland did, they fought and won. In order to call it an occupation, Ulmanis shouldah declare and occupation and create his government in Britain and ask for justice from the other countries. He was a traitor!

Third, Soviet Latvia was ruled by Latvians, not by russians. Soviet latvian government was made of Latvian Communists that cared about the evolution of Latvia. jobs for latvian people, factories, agriculture, tourism. But they were Latvians, and that were them who went to Moscow to ask for money to build new factories and stuff. It were latvians who agreed to take migrants in order to get more workers.

So in this situation only Latvians are to blame. I would say, latvians should blame their own cowardish, lazy and complaining mentality. They always stick their tongues in the a**holes of their bosses and do exactly what they re told.

Russians re resilient man, and we will defend our rights in peaceful way. The government cant take us out. during these 20 years of so called freedom we were discriminated to the ground man, but we stood up, we now speak 3 languages (at least) we got better education, we are more competetive on the job market, and we are a majority in the two biggest cities of Latvia. No laws or constitutions can stop us man. Y'all cant get a job without speaking russian and u better deal with it.

So face the facts man, latvia already have two official languages and never forget it, its u to blame and only u. And we re about to take it over man, if u cant defend your culture and language, its u to blame, and im not giving an eff about it.

A great example of a russian way of thinking! Please, read some other sources, not only russian history books.
As for all the others who say that russian should be the second official language in Latvia- why should I, a person who doesn't speak or understand russian, learn russian? I want to live in my country and know that I can speak and communicate in latvian and everyone will understand. Otherwise I will be forced to learn a language which I don't enjoy at all, because if russian would be the second language, the russians would speak only in their language and would want me to speak russian as well.

So much hate. Why? Come on, leave the history - let the historians to find out the truth. Live your life and live it today.
Tell me, where and how in Latvia you are being discriminated so cruelly? Actually, you are always welcome here if you respect yourself and others. Does anybody hurt you and forbid you to speak russian or any other language - on the street, in the shop, cafe etc.? Even more. You can get here a service in russian almost everywhere. Isn't it a real hospitality? What do you complain for?

i can name about alot of things about how personally i was discriminated.

but i won't. its too much letters man. just think, is there any russian minister in LV? russian president? how many russians work in the government? but why? they re citizens just like latvians, many of them speak and write perfect latvian. How many of them are in the government? name them?

main thing is the signature and the mark in my passport. if i vote for russian language it means my sould tells me to do so and there are reasons for that.

and its up to the government to think WHY THIS HAPPENED?

meanwhile we got about 25-30% people in LV who will vote FOR! 70% are against it and 30% re for. we WILL LOOSE, but the world will finally discover that there are 30% in Latvia who are against the monolingual state.

30% of latvian citizens say not no NAZIsm, no to Nationalism, NO to discrimination. we wanna live in a multicultural state and respect the latgals, lives, polish people, jews, russians, belarus people and others.

I`m latvian. Huge part of my colleagues are russian, same on my husband`s work. And I can`t name one person, who would ever had problem with that. Most of employees know both languages, and if for somebody one is weaker, other will kindly speak with him in language in which they will better understand each other. Hate has been cultivated from upper part.

Firstly, forced linguistic assimilation is legitimate. A thorough objection to this is too radical. A sovereign state without a common language is too precarious. (Therefore, it is legitimate that Moscow should force all the kids throughout Russia to learn the Russian language as the Federation’s official common language.)

Secondly, attempting to achieve a complete linguistic assimilation, however, within a generation or two is also too radical. That would add a huge stress to the Russian-speaking citizens, and thus no good result will come out. (The same should be said for the case in Russia on citizens of different mother-tongues.) The National Alliance is radical in the point that the party wants to force all publicly financed schools to use Latvian as the ‘sole’ language of instruction. The party omits the whole of the transition process to be adopted to achieve the goal. A fundamental solution to such a sensitive issue cannot be obtained in a day or two or a decade or two.

Therefore, a form of forced linguistic assimilation should be conducted in a gradual, prudent and sympathetic manner, over many generations.

By the way, I think the lingua franca de facto of the European Union will be English anyway.

The National Alliance is radical in the point that the party wants to force all publicly financed schools to use Latvian as the ‘sole’ language of instruction.
--
Only from first class, so the reform would last to 2022, and those children would have ethnic education.
So the basic learning subjects in Latvian + ethnic subjects in ethnic language, where they learn their ethnic culture, folklore, history, traditions, literature, art, etc.
That was the idea, to end bilingval education, and separation of children by their ethnicity.

Yes, but who's going to teach the children? Where all the skilled and professional Latvian-talking teachers would come from? If there will be teachers from 1st Gimnazija I don't mind. I don't mind my kid studying in Hindu if I'm guaranteed the quality of education. We all accept education in French, English, Dutch when we move abroad as it's good. Otherwise, I see now when there is 40% of Latvian the education has worsened. The local educational materials and books are often of bad quality with mistakes in them. Why should I be forced to take what's worse for my child? It must take lots of time and patience to change the educational system here the way you see it. At least several generations. Rush would only do harm.

I’m basically against introducing many ethnic programmes into schools. Having said so, I don’t think I’m liberal but rather conservative. Let me elaborate: I think that teaching ethnic culture to children and students is primarily not schools’ job but communities’ job. Culture is diverse even within a nation. Schools should teach little more than what would be something like the greatest common divisor of numbers through the classes related to culture, e.g. history, because, firstly, a school is fundamentally an organisation or society to teach children and students skills and knowledge necessary to work in societies in the future, and, secondly, what would be the ‘national’ culture requires a troublesome and time-consuming process of countrywide cultural homogenisation and standardisation with some unsolvable issues being – history tells – inevitable which may turn to have been a big waste of time, money and often – history tells – lives. Communities should instead take a more active role in nourishing, improving and teaching local cultures.

So much aggression in comment... You live in the same country! It seems like Latvians have finally got ways to revenge all their Russian "occupants" and enjoy it really much. And what about a list of professions where it's forbidden to speak Russian? Or is it just a tale? In Russia in some republics like Tatarstan two languages Russian and Tatar are used as official ones, as some people don't speak Russian well, and no one wonder "why do they didn't learn Russian if they live here for the whole their lives?!" The main subject of any Government is to create conditions for equal opportunities of its citizens. Yet, if to call them "non-citizens", there is no problem

There used to be professions where the person had to be fluent in Latvian to work there (emergency services for example). The main reason is to ensure that people on the receiving side understand the information in critical moments when every second is important. It has never been prohibited to speak russian in any profession.

Sorry, may be I formulated not correctly. Anyway what's the necessity to be fluent in Latvian, for example, for graveyard supervisor? He has no company to talk. The problem is not in that someone doesn't want to learn or doesn't respect Latvian. It's just a reaction of Russians on a huge amount of restrictions by the Latvian Government. Otherwise, I think, any idea about such referendum would never occur to them.

I am not sure which law you are refering to that would require this? Language knowledge requirements exist for a very limited list of professions (mostly those working with clients etc), so I am not sure what is meant by huge amount of restrictions. Also, I ll give you my example - I speak Russian well, but lack vocabulary regarding some specific fields - technical matters/health related matters or some such.
Recently I booked an appointmet with a cosmetologist who only spoke Russian, and while she pretended she understood what I told her (in Latvian and Russian), the treatment she gave me had long term consequences. In the context of referendum, are you suggesting this would be prevented by having second state language? Would she then understand latvian better? Or else do you assume that in that case my Russian would be better and I could explaine myself correctly? Or, finally, you suggest that when I make an appointment I need to ask if the person speaks latvian/russian/english?

I meant that there wouldn't be any talks about referendum, if Russian-spoken didn't feel that their rights are limited, no matter what language is official. But now they feel that it's more and more difficult to live without good knowledge of Latvian, that their and their children's opportunities are becoming smaller, so now they see the way out only in giving to their language an official status.
I have no experience of living in a country where there are more than one state language, but such countries like Canada, Switzerland etc. exist and they live and understand each others somehow. Just begin respecting and understand each others, it's impossible to live in the same country in peace with continuous debates "who's better", "who's occupant", etc. It would be much better to direct all energy to some peaceful purposes, to the country development.
And in your case I can only sorry, and I'm afraid the problem was not in that this cosmetologist spoke only Russian, but that she deceived you in order not to lose you as a client.

Restrictions?! Know language and live free...:-D...simple as that! According to my experience, every person is capable to speak any language within 3 years living in certain country! have You tried to learn Greek?! that's challenge!

Funny, what restrictions are you talking about? We have Latvian-speaking Russian citizens in every government structure.

Just LEARN LATVIAN AND GET CITIZENSHIP! "Aggression"... No one is discriminated just because he is not Latvian, actually Latvians are happy for each person who shows respect to their culture. It is not possible to teach someone Latvian with force - maybe that is the problem, in other countries you simply cannot get education and social services without knowing official language. Here, in Latvia we have left that choice for each one personally.

I would advise all of you guys who will vote abroad for Russian as the second language in Latvia to ask every latvian you will meet on refferendum this Saturday what he\she is doing there?
Why do they being a latvian patriots fleed their own country?
Why do they not developing their language,culture and economy "in the one and only f***ing place on the Earth"?
Why do they so principal on the distance regarding the things they finaly swop for English or Polish?
Who pushed them away from the Fatherland and why dont they come back to protect and develop their national indentity?
Just ask them like they ask us why we not going to Russia if we speaks Russian

Patriot does not always mean that you should stay in one place forever. It's called globalization, Mister. People choose several reasons to leave - one of the most important reasons is to provide themselves with better conditions for living.

Even though they are far away from their home country, it does not mean that they shouldn't fight for crucial values in there. People like this are very important for country (read country, not government) because there still is a chance that they will return home.

It is not only dumb but also childish to tell them that they are not patriots or they don't love their country just because they are working abroad.

Love for your country shouldn't be determined by distance how far are you living from it at the moment.

Well, in the same way, we could ask your ancestors why they moved out of the place where they had full rights, rich culture of their own and the possibility to educate their children in their own language and tradition?
And there is nothing wrong with my national identity even if I live abroad. I just feel that, if I move abroad, I live by the local rules and traditions, and respect the place I have moved to.
And I think we can assume that even horribly discriminated, hurt and unhappy russian speakers why are restricted from working, studying etc etc etc but still stay in Latvia instead of moving to Russia, are actually quite happy in Latvia or else they are pretty sure that they would be worse off in Russia.

So if you have mentioned the globalization,Mister you'd better face it too. 100% nation state is impossible in modern reality.
Russian speakers have always lived in Latvia, they have made for this country not less than any others and they have deserved the equal rights. For language, for education, for culture, for voting.
Of course is better for you to express your love to Latvia form abroad because you have swaped your country for the better place,Mister...
Just to compare: You being a native latvian and claiming to be a latvian patriot has fleeded by budget RYANAIR to London and now from there explaining me about the crucial values of your Fatherland in time when I being 3 language speaking educated "occupant" still working in Latvia and paying my taxes instead of packing my bags towards UK like you did.
And what I got in return? Your nationalist government want to convert me and my relatives into latvians by reducing my media space, by terror of the Language Inspection and by forcing my kids to replace their native indentity with your LATVIETIBAI?

Wake up,Mister and face the truth! For the last 20 years your state has proved of being absolutely useless and has destroyed nearly all of its own productin and agriculture, ruined the medical and social services,has sold for the 3 generations upfront its cherished Independance and soon will collaps like the Greece...
Everything is running down the hill now (just have a look on the latest statistics) BUT despite that you like Dr.Slucis from USA is discussing with me the "crucial values" of your language and explaining me the meaning of being a patriot! Bull shit!

I dont ask you to refuse your mother tongue.
Keep it,use it,love it and develop it as much as you can. That is you right.
But only please do it by your own facilities and without destroing mines!

My parents were born in Latvia,
I was born in Latvia,
My kids were born in Latvia
I'm living in Latvia,
I'm working in Latvia,
I'm paying my taxes in Latvia
I'm the citizen of Latvia,
Es zinu latviesu valodu,
BUT I'M ETHNIC RUSSIAN
Always was and always will be

Your reasonably fair report on the upcoming language referendum in Latvia would be much improved if you had not closed with a seemingly dismissive and condescending remark about "arguing about history" implying that this is just a needles argument impeding progress on more important matters.

Though most ethnic Latvians probably did not desire a referendum, now that it is going to happen most see it as hugely important. It is not just about different interpretations of history. Many Latvians of all social strata, writers, artists, academics, scientists as well as farmers, laborers and students now consider it an existential question. They see the effort to give Russian the status of a second official language as the first step in the destruction of a centuries old culture and ultimately the death of Latvia as an independent national entity. It is widely seen as the tip of an iceberg and the first step in a manipulative campaign by Moscow to weaken the national unity of the native Latvian population, and to ultimately bring the Baltic States back into the Russian fold.

A report by the Economist on the roots and implications of the February 18th referendum could do much to improve understanding in the rest of the world about the determination of a small but proud nation to preserve its national culture and independence.

While beign from the Russian family by my self I sometimes feeling shame for some people Russian people who lives in Latvia.
Living all their concious lives in the country and not beign able to learn their neighbor
language is only a sign of arogancy, personality complexes and ignorance
while trying to rise an argumentation out of nothing and blaiming everyone around except of trying to change their own attitude
is just dropping these people down to marginal medevial ghetos.
You people lost in time and stuck quite hard in the trench between two geopolitical teutonic plates. Western world and Russia.
I think the cause of the problem is Soviet mentality (nothing to do with Russian culture), where social system was providing everything to their
loyal servants and ideology of "Corrupted" western culture was injected since childhood.
Of cause when the first Russian military contingent, factory workers and block house builders were brought to Soviet Latvia
They was comming with a honest believe that they are building the better future in the name of the Great Soviet Nation,
so more Westernised mentality of Latvian people was concidered hostile.
Afteral, Russian nation was a forming (major) nation in the system where "everyone was equal"
Unfortunatelly intrusive and insolent nature (often Russians demands speaking Russian with them even beign a minority in the group of people)
of the typical Soviet proletarian from the industrial periphery of the huge Soviet empire
wasn't flexible enough to accept the fact that some small nation on the shores of baltic sea don't want to accept their "Great industrial and progressive" ways.
Many of them started to be insulting towards the whole nation on the streets (leaving insulting tags on the walls addressed to Latvians)
or even physically offensive towards native Latvians in the primarelly Russian areas,
fortunatelly this is in the past now, but I remember quite a number of cases from my adolescence (early 90's).
As Mr. Putin said once "The colapse of soviet union was one of the biggest geopolitical disasters of 20's century."
Thats where I partly agree with him, It was terrible tradegy for many Russian people,
these people who weren't able to change with time and with system, it's not all their fault.
It's their fate, fate they didn't want to change.
I personally think that this referendum is good. I see it as another independance Latvia Latvia have to win, perhaps not the last.
But that's the way to proove themself as the real Nation.
The thought many of These Russian speaking Latvians would probably hold in thir minds is:
-Latvia and whole Baltics is just a crappy artificial country that was created as buffer zone between West and Russia.
-Latvians didn't deserve their national independence,
-Latvians can't manage country and business,
-Moreover, Latvians are facists cause they don't like to speak Russian with us and many of them was fighting in SS in the WW2.
-And only we Russians who saved the world from Hitler, who knows how to manage and create holders of the GREAT language of Dostoyevsky.
But Latvians are so nationalistic and arrogant they just don't want to see our greatness and don't allow us to rule their country for their good.
I think that Irony of calling Latvians facists and shovinists is obvious.
As nice English saying says "Those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"

so Sergejs - i see like to be called Sergejs - not Sergej.
if you want to be assimilated that's yr choise, fine, but
i dont want my name is added with this f***ng letter "S",
i do want my kids to go to russian school, not latvian.
i do want that all "aliens" are given citizenship right away without exams.
and do not pretend you don't undesrand that this referendum is largely caused by constant humiliation of russians

Humiliation? What exactly you calling Humiliation?
From my life experience it's the other way around, and I'm saying from the Russian perspective (finished Russian school and spend most of my life in predominantly Russian part of Riga.). Just trying to be objective here.
IMAO This referendum is caused maily by slack, nihilism and narrowmindness of the people who can't overcome their language barriers and shovinistic prejudices.
Votes "Against" isn't against Russian language, it's against arrogance.
Latvian is National country, it's an European concept, that means that Latvian culture is a forming culture that this country is associated with, because there no other place in the world where it can happen.
To Latvians, I guess, this country don't want to be associated with: "this small peace of Russia near Finland."
Do you want that? because if your voting for Russian as a second that potentially making it so.
And yes, I'm putting "S" in the end of my name casue I want to be associated with a country called Latvia while beign in Latvia I'm keeping my Russian heritage and i'm proud of both.

The author did not forget that Russia occupied Latva from 1710-1918. This fact is quite irrelevant. The Russians occupied Warsaw for over 100 years by 1918, but you are not advocating Russian as a second language there either, why? Shall the same be for the Hungarians in Slovakia, or Germans and Hungarians in Romania?

The Latvians won their independence in 1918 and again in 1991 after YOUR Soviet Union stole it from them. If you do not like it, then 1) stop losing wars and 2) stop occupying countries that do not want you!

Since you beat your chest wih pride about how Latvians were "just peasants who were educated....by the Russian Imperial School system," only to later mention that Latvians were used in only menial jobs in Riga proves how much of a diservice the first Russian "education" and occupation proved to be!

So go ahead, beat your bongo drums with your friends Osipov, Linderman, Korens, and Goncharov at the Uzvaras piemineklis (a.k.a Soviet "Liberation" Monument, though there is nothing liberating about another 45 year occupation!) and complain about how the Latvians are nothing but a bunch of Nazis.... like you always do!

While you are at it, invite Johan Bäckman, Dmitry Linter, Mazix Reva, Mark Syrik and Leena Hietanen to the party..... then start another riot to trash downtown Riga! Hire Sahra Wagenknecht (the Commie Ossie) to bail you out, and you'll all get another row of medals from Vladdy Putin on a cracker!

Latvia was never occupied by Russia, it was always part of Russian empire. 1918 Lenin gave Latvia independence in exchange of helping to destroy Russian empire. First thing that was done by latvians when they got independence, was robbery and land confiscation from german farmers... Then in next 20 years they stole and sold every single factory (on Latvian territory before independence were build alot of world famous factories), and in 1936 when Latvian economy was ruined K. Ulmanis came to power. K. Ulmainis was pro Nazi dictator , who made first concentration camps for political enemies on Latvian territory. 1939 Ulmanis asked USSR for economical help and got it in exchange of USSR military bases dislocation on LR territory. 1940 when first USSR soldiers were transported to Latvia, there were crowds of people who were saluting them. Actually people were meeting USSR forces as saviors (I know this because my grandmother that was living in LR at that time and saw it with here own eyes). After that K. Ulmanis was displaced from his presidency, and was appointed to work in Stavropol. What is the point of what I wrote? Point is that Latvian republic was not occupied, as you stated, but was annexed.

"Lenin gave Latvian independence...."
That explains how the Latvian kicked the Soviet's butt at the Battle of Daugavpils 1920.

"land confiscation from german famers."
Not exactly, but Karlis Ulmanis did lead the effort in the granting more land reforms favoring the deprived Latvians at the expense of the German Land Barons..... but more on that later....

"Ulmanis made first concentration camps..."
Where? When? Manned by who?

"Ulmanis asked for USSR help in exchange for military bases"
Ok, how does that jive with "Ulmanis was a pro-Nazi dictator"?
But never mind the fact that he helped send off many of the Baltic German Land Barons......

"People met the USSR as saviors"
Are you kidding me? Show proof that Latvians who fought and died for thier independence in 1920 would change their minds 18 years later.

"My grandma was it with her own eyes"
Well, since you have called Ulmanis a pro-Nazi communist, I would hate to learn your grandmother's political pursuation.

"Ulmanis was displaced from his Presidency and appointed to work in Stavropol"
Really, a man who was exiled from the Russian Empire in 1905 for pushing Latvian Independence, later leading his country to independence in 1918, would all of a sudden have a change of heart and agree to work at a Chicken Farm in Stavropol enroute to a prison in Turkmenistan?

What are you talking about?!!! Latvia didn't exist back in 1710-1918!!! The fact Latvians lived on these territories doesn't mean other nationals should be considered occupants. According to your logic Latvians occupied Latgale.

I did not disagree with the fact that Imperial Russia controlled Latvian territory. I simply stated that the years of "1710-1918" is irrelevant in Boulvadier's response.

Although, in reality Imperial Russia did not control all Latvian territory until 1795, but that is a different story.

Latgalians have been our dear brothers in arms and in tragedy for over a thousand years. Our bonds will never be torn, no matter how hard the Imperial Russians, Soviet Russians, or modern Russians may wish otherwise!

As for the status of the occupants, why turn a blind eye to what the Soviet Union did to the Latvians? Unless of course you happen to agree with the Soviet treatment of the Latvian people.

"That explains how the Latvian kicked the Soviet's butt at the Battle of Daugavpils 1920."
You forgotten that mostly people linked to Latvia discuss the article.
If somebody from Honduras joins us here, I admit he would swallow your childish fantasies.

"Latvia was never occupied by Russia, it was always part of Russian empire" - Well, well. Just like Poland and Finland. I guess that makes Soviet occupation of Poland together with Nazis in 1939 a legitimate business. The same goes for Winter War with Finland. How can you "occupy" something that has always belonged to you, eh? ;)

"1918 Lenin gave Latvia independence in exchange of helping to destroy Russian empire." - Popular claim. But so false, that it is ridiculous. The funniest thing is that it never happened. Never. Nil. :) If you start to analyze, you understand, that the myth refers to the fact, that after fall of the Empire the pro-Communist Red Latvian Riflemen affiliated to Lenin tried to conquer Latvia and establish a Soviet state there. They succeeded to certain extend. They indeed occupied a lot of its territory and introduced Soviet rule there. With (guess what?) the Red Terror. And actually it was their leader Peteris Stucka, the Communist, who introduced mass executions and build the concentration camps. Latvian National Army of the newly established democratic Republic kicked the ass of the Commies, Thanks to supoprt from Estonians and Finns, an, very importantly, from British and French! And that democratic Republic, endangered by Lenin's Red Guard, was what became the free state. So, your knowledge of history is , let's put it mildly, rather unconventional.

"First thing that was done by latvians when they got independence, was robbery and land confiscation from german farmers..." - It is funny that you call "German farmers" the wealthy land owners, the German Barons, who had exploited in serfdom the local farmers, the Latvians, for centuries, later also with support from the Russian Empire. Agrarian reform took the land away from the Barons and gave it to the actual farmers.

"Then in next 20 years they stole and sold every single factory (on Latvian territory before independence were build alot of world famous factories)" - Funny nonsense. Actually, it is the first time I hear this. In fact all the factories were evacuated to the Russia proper when the WWI started. They took it to the extend that even the railroad rails were torn off from the ground and carried away to Russia. Despite this devastation Latvia recovered surprisingly quickly and in few years new famous factories sprung up and businesses started, with their famous trademarks, like BEKONA EKSPORTS, FORD-VAIROGS, VEF MINIX and many others. These companies were stolen by Communists when they arrived alongside Russian tanks in June 1940.

"in 1936 when Latvian economy was ruined K. Ulmanis came to power" - Latvia's economy at that time was doing just fine and perfect. Ulmanis took power, because the situation was getting off hand with political parties fighting amongst themselves and Communist underground trying to take power in the country.

"made first concentration camps for political enemies on Latvian territory" - First camps were made by the Communist leader Peteris Stucka some 20 years before that. After taking power Ulmanis indeed briefly imprisoned some of his political opponents. For just few months. And they were treated with full respect. Nobody was killed or even hurt in any way. You know what these prisoners complained to Russians in 1940, when the Red Army came? "We did not have the white brad every day", they said. In Russia in those days people were dying of starvation, and executed en masse and buried in unmarked graves.

"1939 Ulmanis asked USSR for economical help and got it in exchange of USSR military bases dislocation on LR territory" - Seems that nobody except you knows about any "asking for help". But many know that Ulmanis "was made offer which he could not refuse" by the gun wielding Stalin.

"1940 when first USSR soldiers were transported to Latvia, there were crowds of people who were saluting them" - Indeed, there are pictures of a medium sized crowd of people looking at the Russian tanks as they roll down the streets of downtown Riga. I guess today you could amass even larger crowd. Some were just curious bystanders, some were Communist sympathizers. You can find them in every country. They are called "tank kissers" in Latvian. I bet you would be in that crowd too, kissing armor plates of the Russian tanks.

"Actually people were meeting USSR forces as saviors (I know this because my grandmother that was living in LR at that time and saw it with here own eyes)" - Sure. Again - just kiss the tank...

"After that K. Ulmanis was displaced from his presidency, and was appointed to work in Stavropol." -Sure. In Stavropol. He was going to Switzerland, but ended up in Stavropol. In a prison. How convenient.

"Point is that Latvian republic was not occupied, as you stated, but was annexed" - Sure. The Russian tanks kissed by your grandmother just came there to buy some milk. Latvians jut dissolved their country on their own out of pure boredom. The president himself got self-arrested and decided to live (and die) in a prison in Russia. Thousands of Latvian people also self-arrested, some killed themselves with a shot to the back of the had, borrowing guns from kind and helpful Soviet Secret Police NKVD officers, others merrily jumped into railroad livestock cars to go for long vacations to health resorts in Siberia. Those resorts had barbed wire fences to keep off other volunteers, who also wanted to use free services provided there - like a healthy soup of beet leaves, single rusty barrel of excrement for sanitary needs of all the people packed tight in the hat, and opportunity to strengthen your health by freezing to the boards of your "bed" at night. With stacks of bodies frozen out there in the cold.

They just resist the assimilation and want their native russian language to be recognised as the official language in Latvia due to the fact that 40% (27% as stated in article + 300000 of aliens passport holders who wasnt counted) of latvian populations are russian-speakers.
Many European countries with much less percentages of minorities have several official languages and multicultural societies but this is not affecting their democracy.

Latvia for all russian speakers who living there is exactely the same Fatherland as for latvians. They are loyal to Latvia and they pay the same taxes so they want to be heard by authorities.

Russian speakers are not asking for the privelegies but they are demanding the equal rights. This is fair enough.

Latvia belongs to all its citizens despite their nationality but not only to latvians. Extreeme nationalism will lead to the open confrontation. All national minorities must be respected by the state and treated on the equal basis.

russian speakers in Latvia are not presenting the Moscow or anybody's else policy but they are pesenting themselves being a Latvian citizens only.

Many countries with significant linguistc minorities provide them with state support to run their schools, associations, libraries, etc. Russia does not support any minority language schools, libraries, cultural societies, publications. WHY NOT ?

Leave Russia alone and dont assotiate all russian with Russia please.
Who wanted to return back to Russia had returned 20 years ago.

Russian speakers in Latvia are not just russians. There are some jews, ukrainians, belorussians and so on...
All of them declaring their native language is russian.

Apart from that we are not talking about 5-10% of minorities.
We talking about nearly a half of the country (dont forget that 300 000 latvian residents has no latvian citezenship despite the fact that many of them were born in Latvia)

Russians lived on that territory since 18th century but since 1991 they are discriminated

As said inhabitant, there is no connection between all russian speaking people and Russia as the country, just russian language and nothing more. Your huge fear of this big neighbor makes you inadequate for all things which could be linked with Russia in any way. And the last thing: even in this "terrible" country there are many _official_ local languages.

How many European countries can you name, which, say, in last 100 years had been occupied and colonized by an aggressor, with influx of colonists amassing to about a third of the citizens, but later would have allowed those colonists, including the occupation army officers, to stay, given them citizenship and introduced the language of the occupying aggressor nation as their state language.

Second, where did you get the nonsense that "ukrainians, belorussians and so on...
All of them declaring their native language is russian. "
That is plain Moscow-precooked propaganda.

Third, there are many, many minorities in the present RFederation but Russia does not recognise their linguistic and cultural rights. Out of 140 mill. inhabitants of RFed. at least some 20 million are Moslem, then there are millions of Ukrainians, Buriats, Yakuts, Tatars and dozens of others.
Name me where are the schools for children and youth in their native languages ?

I will never understand why it is so hard for Russians to learn Latvian. Knowing language has never killed anyone. Knowing Latvian will not make you less Russian. You are allowed to speak Russian at home, with family, but coming to me on the street asking for help in Russian and then calling me Nazi behind my back when i answer you in Latvian will never be OK.

It still baffles me that people my age (25) do not know Latvian at.all. That people from my course came to me for help to translate LEGAL documents, because they didn't understand a thing seems ridiculous and oh so ignorant.

I need help understanding WHY some Russians hate Latvia, but still live here. We live in a free world, and luckily people are free to find a place that they actually like and can love. I think it must be really horrible living in a place that you hate.

So much bullshit in comments, can't believe in 21st century people in Europe (i.e. Latvia) can't get over old grudges, keep insulting each other based on nationality, and retell pieces of history in a way that appeal to them.

Come on. Currently we all are interested in personal welfare, doesn't matter who is who.

DiOMFG1000, did you read the 2nd paragraph of the article? The facts are that a small country had a foreign culture imposed on it, and was able to shake that off only a short time ago. Now the consequences of that have to be worked through. If your country were invaded and neighbors that had a different language and different customs were shipped in and your kids were made to learn that language how would that be for you? Would your resentment be racists?

Give them more time. The Soviets were invaders. After WWII, the Germans were forcibly deported by the Soviets, even if they had lived there centuries before. At least the Latvians are not forcibly deporting the Russians after the fall of the Soviet Union.

I did read it, and I wouldn't call 20 years a short time.
Dealing with consequences? If by consequences you mean referendum, I don't understand that. Part of the population wanted to vote for a second language, it's their choice, as well as, every citizen has his own, so it all will be decided by people, which seems fair to me.

Resentment, disliking someone is understandable, but racism which is clearly expressed by some people (and I don't mean Latvian's specifically, some Russians have the same problem, which is even more unfortunate) is unacceptable.

Again, all of this probably comes from the distinct groups, at least I hope so.
But all the fuss made by the politicians is ridiculous.

Frankly, at the moment, there definitely won't be 2 official languages, so the threat to Latvian language is just some delusion.

Thanks for your forthright swear words to cut through the fog. It is pointless to bring up "old grudges." Catch phrases like "never again" are just insults about others that should be forgotten? Right?

Latvia was occupied by Soviet Russia in exactly the same year and month that their ally, Nazi Germany invaded Paris. I guess it is ancient history but it was only 1994 when the Soviet Army finally left Latvia. It is not hard too imagine how the French would feel if today 40% of the population was "German speakers" from the faterland and they were signing petitions to make German an official language of France.

Even in that circumstance 60 million French would probably not be worried about their heritage (or wouldthey?). However, there are only 1.4 million Latvians who are outnumbered 100 to 1 by their good neighbors the Russians. By the way, although you know history does not matter, the territory of Latvia was occupied/ruled by Germans for about 700 years. The Russians are just Johnny-come-lately’s.

Certainly it is unbelievable that this would be happening in 21st century Europe. By the way, in which century was 2008? That was the year Russia invaded Georgia to free the Russian citizens living there. Those parts of Georgia have now happily overcome racism and made Russian as an official language.

Thanks for your forthright swearing to cut through the fog. It is pointless to bring up "old grudges." Catch phrases like "never again" are just insults about others that should be forgotten? Right?

Latvia was occupied by Soviet Russia in exactly the same year and month that their ally, Nazi Germany invaded Paris. I guess it is ancient history but it was only 1994 when the Soviet Army finally left Latvia. It is not hard too imagine how the French would feel if today 40% of the population was "German speakers" from the faterland and they were signing petitions to make German an official language of France.

Even in that circumstance 60 million French would probably not be worried about their heritage (or would they?). However, there are only 1.4 million Latvians who are outnumbered 100 to 1 by their good neighbors the Russians. By the way, although you know history does not matter, the territory of Latvia was occupied/ruled by Germans for about 700 years. The Russians are just Johnny-come-lately’s.

Certainly it is unbelievable that this would be happening in 21st century Europe. By the way, in which century was 2008? That was the year Russia invaded Georgia to free the Russian citizens living there. Those parts of Georgia have now happily overcome racism and made Russian as an official language.

Firstly, what you did here is exactly what I wrote about:
>> "retell pieces of history in a way that appeal to them"
I am not saying it is incorrect, but why are you bringing it up?
How exactly it is related to the current situation?
Furthermore, do multiple official languages threaten or endanger nation's/people's culture and heritage?
I don't see it that way. Again doesn't mean I support such idea, just trying to be objective.
Then you went to some hypothetical examples.
And for whatever reason brought in Russian citizen's.
Russia, and Russian citizen's has nothing to do with Latvia's inner affairs.
I never said that history should be forgotten, but living in it prevents from moving forward. We should learn from it, but we shouldn't bring it back to life all the time.
Regarding remarks about Russia and Georgia, again it has nothing do with Latvia.
The question being raised, form my point of view, is whether Latvian citizens whose native language is Russian, are allowed to use it in government bureaus?
And it doesn't concern Russia, Europe, or any other outside party.
Russia is not an angel, but so are not many other countries.

Are you asking how past is related to present? Probably you have never experienced how it is to live in a country, occupied by a hostile power. What we see today are consequences. There are too many Russians, living here, who hate us and our country (seriously!). And they are backed by Russia, large, aggressive country. And we know what they are capable of. This is not a "civilized conqueror", or something. Many Latvians have families, you know... This referendum is just a sign, that our fight for freedom and safety in our land is not over yet. If you don't understand these words, cannot help you.

Baltic Germans were departed by Ulmanis government when latvia was independent, before the Soviet Latvian times. Independent Latvian goverment took the property away (robbed) the baltic germans and threw them away from the country:

latvians has occupied all government positions, settled all of their close relatives on the most important jobs, gave their friends easy orders to waste European money, behalf of the peoples send country in a heavy depts, collapsed health service, production, agriculture, created horrible unemployment level and forced many to immigrate abroad...

They only care about the language because they want to keep all others away from their power monopoly, away from their top-positions wages and away from the chances to access the new loans from Europe.

What you have said is absolutely correct, now and historically. That is how every nation on this planet works BUT this is a subject about the language of Latvia, in Germany they speak German, in Russia they speak Russian, in France they speak French just to name a few. The point is that the Country of Latvia speaks Latvian and that is the official language, there are millions of people in all of the countries that i have mentioned that speak different languages, they don't have two or more official languages, there is no need for more than one.
If this is more about the acceptance of Russians in public life in Latvia then say so, don't cloud the issue with history and useless rhetoric. All people recognized as living in a country should have the same rights, this i agree is a fundamental right. This language fiasco is just that, a Fiasco!!

ok, that was just an explanation why do they protect their monopoly so agressivly.
Yes, its more about acceptance of russian in public life. I admit that russian overe here can be treated in the same way as English in India, Australia or Jamaica. This country always was a part of Germany, Sweeden or Russia and only since 1991 returned the independance. I agree that latvian must be the priority language in Latvia but not the sole one as we have over here something about 40% of russian speakers.

"there are millions of people in all of the countries that i have mentioned that speak different languages, they don't have two or more official languages, there is no need for more than one"...

You are devastatingly ignorant. Who is suprised. You have been in the EU such a short time.
In Wales there are 2 official languages and they co-exist now for several hundred years without the kind of nonsense you have in the Baltic states since only 1991.
This is the case for many ancient celtic (now minority)languages which predate Latvian or Estonian by more than 1000 years, and should be protected by the "cultural diversity" statutes of the EU.

It would only be one small but useful step to allow use of Russia language in Estonia and Latvia, and give automatic citizenship to those minorities, as they sensibly did in neighbouring Lithuania.

Your stark & scarcely disguised nationalism shows how immature your little countries are.
If we had our way you wouldn't be in the EU at all, and you certainly shouldn't be getting any form of EU struct funding until you put your houses in order.

Mostly, those "russian speakers" are from countries, which have been russified already. What to do? I do not know a belorussian, who speaks his own language. It is just russian with a bit different pronunciation. Sorry to say, but even they are victims.

Have You been in Cyprus?It is almost Russia's satellite, and there all positions are taken by Cypriots. Daily You can use Russian, they got lots of them, but that's all! yes, I agree politicians are corrupted, but not because they are Latvians. We have enough Russian politicians, are they different?

Your statement that Wales has 2 official languges is incorrect.
Welsh is an (officialy protected language),not the official language of Wales and English is not an official language of Wales or even for that mater in England.there as never been the need to make English an official language, it is just the language that is spoken by the majority.

Your statement that Wales has 2 official languges is incorrect.
Welsh is an (officialy protected language),not the official language of Wales and English is not an official language of Wales or even for that mater in England.there as never been the need to make English an official language, it is just the language that is spoken by the majority. Your comment that the UK should not be allowed in the EU is amusing at best

I'm afraid you haven't a clue what you are talking about.
Welsh was the majority language of Wales for nearly 1 millenium, until the English tried on repeated attempts to eradicate it.

It was actually spoken a long time ago from the Scottish border to northern France.

Just because you don't know what you are talking about doesn't entitle you to wave generalisations at the British Isles.

I find the whole "official" or "protected" language status you are quoting as so clueless in an international environment, it smacks again and again of "little people".

I'm sorry you don't get it about the need for a common language as russian is in the baltic states.
Your country is bankrupt & all you can argue about is more fatuous arguments about making the decline even faster, while being proud of all those "achievments" since 1991.

If you had proper industry and money making activities like Wales with only a 2.5m population does (or even Scotland, which will soon be independent), we could take you seriously.

All you have for now is one medium size but very run down city and lots of specious arguments about keeping a small minority of people in it as wealthy as possible while the others booze or starve.

You obviously have not read correctly the threads here, i am Welsh,born here in wales and so have my family been for generations. I was just correcting your ignorance about Wales and the official duel language that you claimed it has. On the other hand my partner is from Latvia and is Latvian and speaks both Latvian and Russian, she has taken the time to learn Russian, because a lot of the Russian speaking "Latvians" can't speak the language of their country!
To pick up on a statement you made in your reply,"YOUR" country is bankrupt etc, by that statement i take it that you are not Latvian, is that correct?

Nobody ever thanks the Russians for their major contribution in saving the world from Nazi occupation. Take a look round your own museums in Riga and you will see that Latvia had its share of Nazis during the War, and Russia had to act, even if the subsequent occupying regime was deeply unpleasant. Not as unpleasant as the alternative I would say.

However, Welsh and English are "official" langauages in Wales.
You can be represented and go to court in either language, apply for a driving licence, change your car details in Welsh or English.

You think I don't know that???

What is missing in the Baltic states is the same 21st century behaviour. In their total bullshit inflexible/language Gestapo mindset, they are still stuck in the cold war, and YOU v US.

I can't stand this damn miserable backward and arrogant Latvian mentality and the Estonians are no better.
Those a..holes as emptying the countries.
The sensible ones and with any brains have all left.
That's what's sad.
The rest inc most of the young generation are all unemployed and having to face the blocked career prospects, language cr...p and limitations to their freedom of all sorts!!

What civilised country would after all make it a criminal offence to talk of devaluing the Lat in public??

Only the bl...dy Latvians of course with their corruption and even an inability to rebuild a decent road!
Crap countries, lousy people and backward mindset.
Welcome to Latvia and Estonia!

There is a parallel blog in TE called "Tibetians and the Chinese state".

Isn't it interesting?

When a Chinese is settling in Tibet he is expecting Tibetians to speak in Chinese with him. Few Chinese immigrants will learn Tibetian.

When a Russian is settling in, let's say, Yakutia, he is expecting Yakutians to speak in Russian with him. Few Russian immigrants will learn Yakutian. Few Russians will learn Ukranian, Belarus, Chechen, Chukchi, Karelian, Tatar, Mari, Kazakh or Udmurd when they settle on these lands. They always expect locals to speak in Russian with them.

They call it "a human right"(!).

Small languages are disappearing with alarming speed as they are not protected.

Russians even tell other nations which alphabet they can use. Lithuanians were forced to use cyrillic alphabet in the 19. century. Now Russians tell Tatars that they are not allowed to use latin alphabet. But it should be Tatars' business only what script they would like to use.

What Latvians are now doing is protecting their language from coming extinct. Latvia without Latvian language would be like East Prussia without German language i.e. Kaliningrad oblast. Just another province of Russia.

There is an Estonian school in Riga http://www.rivsk.lv/ I am sure there are schools for other minorities, including for Russians. Isn't that enough?

I do not know what is wrong with Russians. They have the biggest territory on the face of the Earth, very scarcely populated, but they do not like to stay there. Instead they like to teach other nations "human rights" by deporting millions of them to Siberia and replacing them with Russian-speaking Soviets. Now, after all these years we see the grapes of wrath. I guess if I would have been born as Russian-speaking Latvian, I would now be blaming Latvians for taking away my "human rights". But Latvians have no choice. They will continue to fight for their language as Latvia is the only place on the planet where they can use it in all fields of life.

It is not about Latvians and Russians only. It is about small languages trying to survive. Small is beautiful ;)

easy illustration: Wales make independent country!!!! and---
1 send all British away (they are occupier, even gran gran parents born there)
2 you can speak only Wales language
3 all who are not 100% wales -have Aliens passport!!
4 all Wales heroes only person who kill brits..
etc ..etc... etc ..what YOU think about that???
IS that what you call democratic????

dude, stop bullshiting O_x
1) no one sends no one away
2) you can speak whatever language you whant with your friends/family/etc
3) every one has opportunity to easy gain citizenship - just start using your brain and language of country you live all your life
4) no comment - facepalm ;/

latvians never say about Soviet time--- the best time for latvian Economy,Culture ,Educations ,Health, Sport,etc...
what now?? lost 300 000 people for 20 years...destroy all Economy, Sports returns now only because latvian team play Russian League!!!!

Why always there is problems with Russians in every ex-soviet republic? They think that all nations who don't fulfill their wishes and ambitions are bad and evil. Latvians are bad, Estonians are bad, Ukrainians, Georgians, Kirghizs, Tajiks and other are bad for them too. Even Belarusians are not good. Russians think that only they are good and right. This is not some kind of fascism?
They feels mighty because of big neighbour - Russia.
If i don't talk in Russian with Latvia-born Russians in LATVIA, where only official language is LATVIAN, they call me nazi (it was more times), but when Russians don't answer to me in Latvian, then this counts normal!

Russians may live without danger probably only in Baltic Contries, Ukraine and Belarus , the rest exUSSR is far more dangerous for us.
The problem is that in Latvia 1/3 of population speaks russian at home with family, with friends and so on. And they have rights to do that by international law.
This is why we need at least to have rights for voting w/o exams.

Why dont you stop blaming all russians for all problems in Latvia?
The vast majority of russians who living now in Latvia were born in Latvia and their parents lived there for ages too.
When in 1991 Latvia got independance from Soviet Union russians together with latvians protected the latvian freedom on the barricades but afterward latvians have left them without any right to be a citizens making them prove their loyality through naturalization.
Currently in Latvia living 300.000 taxpayers who has "aliens" passport and has no right to vote or take part in political life.
Latvians has decided that this country belongs only to them, and has turned their nationality and language into administrative tool to assure for themselves the power monopoly.
In first Latvian Constitution dated 1922 was stated that Latvia has 3 official languages: latvian, russian and german, this Constitution was returned in 1991 but in 1998 national politics in Parlament by their own decision and without asking anybody has changed it and made the latvian language as the one and only.
40% of Latvian population (incl 300.000 aliens) are russian speakers and now we demanding a rights for ourselves to use our native language officialy and requesting the possibility to get education for our childrens on it too as we also paying taxes!
Why latvian "state language inspection" is panishing by huge penalties anybody who is not using latvian on their work?
Why some parts of Latvia (Latgale for example) where latvians are in minority must use only latvian? Why latvians trying to take away from russians their culture and language?
Everybody has no doubt that latvian is essential in Latvia and should stay as the official language, noboudy says that we would like to replace it with russian.
We only asking for the equal right for 40% of population and we disagree with fact the Latvia must be the mononational state.

The author forgets that Latvia was part of the Russian Empire from 1710 to 1918. All larger cities and most small towns in Latvia were founded by Germans (XIII-XVI centuries)and later developed by Swedes (XVII century) and the Russian crown (especially between 1861 and 1914). Latvians were just peasants who were educated initially by German priests and later by the Russian Imperial school system. They started flocking to Riga during the construction boom of 1861-1914, and were used by Germans, Russians, and Jews as hired help in menial jobs. After major emigration wave during world war I, when over 700,000 people left Latvia mostly for Russia, Latvians became the majority even in Riga. They claimed properties that NEVER belonged to them and decided to re-write the Latvian history by scratch:) Hence all these misundertsandings:) Imagine Scotts or even the Irish reducing English form its present status of the state language to the status of a street lingo. Sounds far-fetched? Well, that's what happened to the Russian language here. Now we will claim it back and restore Russian to the status of a second state language, thats all. Justice will be served, after all.

Then we should include also Swedish and German as official languages of Latvia, why not? Let's start with them first cause they were here first, so Russian should wait after that :)
And by the way, there are so many stories about very "Intelligent" Russian soldiers when they came to Eastern Europe that didn't know how to use toilets with water or thought that women's night dress is appropriate evening dress for their ladies when they go out :D

ржунимагу :)
so you are part of north europe ? never heard more funny garbage than that. tell other funny story - one "proud" latvian (and i know him personally) when being on travel somewhere in europe and when asked where he is from told in answer that he is ... (keep yr chair) ... that he is scandinavian.
so you all seem to be so ashamed of yr "great" nation that suddenly became "north europeans" and "scandinavians"

The author did not forget that Russia occupied Latva from 1710-1918. This fact is quite irrelevant. The Russians occupied Warsaw for over 100 years by 1918, but you are not advocating Russian as a second language there either, why? Shall the same be for the Hungarians in Slovakia, or Germans and Hungarians in Romania?

The Latvians won their independence in 1918 and again in 1991 after YOUR Soviet Union stole it from them. If you do not like it, then 1) stop losing wars and 2) stop occupying countries that do not want you!

Since you beat your chest wih pride about how Latvians were "just peasants who were educated....by the Russian Imperial School system," only to later mention that Latvians were used in only menial jobs in Riga proves how much of a diservice the first Russian "education" and occupation proved to be!

So go ahead, beat your bongo drums with your friends Osipov, Linderman, Korens, and Goncharov at the Uzvaras piemineklis (a.k.a Soviet "Liberation" Monument, though there is nothing liberating about another 45 year occupation!) and complain about how the Latvians are nothing but a bunch of Nazis.... like you always do!

While you are at it, invite Johan Bäckman, Dmitry Linter, Mazix Reva, Mark Syrik and Leena Hietanen to the party..... then start another riot to trash downtown Riga! Hire Sahra Wagenknecht (the Commie Ossie) to bail you out, and you'll all get another row of medals from Vladdy Putin on a cracker!